Improvement in shke



R. KQWALTON, 0F CLARIblGrTO-'ikl OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 82,900, dated October-'6, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPIKE.

diagrama rifarsi ytu im tigen trtters ,tentait mit mating part .uf it snm.

'TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: l

Be it known' that I, R. K. WALTON, of Cl-arington, in the county of Monroe, and State of'. Ohio, have invented a vnew and improved Spike; and I do h'e'reby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had 4to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specifi-cation, in which- Figure 1 is a. longitudinal vertical section,ishow ing the spike in position in the wood. Figures 2 and 4 are side elevations, showing diiferent forms of spike, and the spike in different positions. Figures v3 and 5 are longitudinal vertical sections, showing differently-shapedapertures through the spike. Figure 6 is a view of the auxiliary spike o1' nail before it is bent. n The object of this invention is so to construct a spike for railroad purposes, or for common use in spiking planks to timbers, or. in spiking timbers together for ship-building or other purposes, that the spike can be firmly embedded in the wood, so that it cannot be withdrawn, or evenmoved a started in its bed, by any vibration of the woodv or of the spike, or by any extracting-instrument, which will not tear away or remove the wood itself.

To this end, I cast or make the spike with an inclined or curved hole through it from side to side, and with a guide-groove or depression on its side, leading from near its head to thel entrance to the hole or passage. In connection with a spike thus formed, I employ a supplementary or auxiliary spike or nail, which, being driven down-by. the side of the spike after the latter is in its place', passes through it and enters the'wood on its opposite side, firmly xingvthe spike in its place, and preventing its being withdrawn or moved by any force whatever that will not break or tear away the wood itself. v

In the drawings, indicates the body, B the point, and C the head ofthe main spike, the auxiliary spike or nail being represented-by the letter I), and by iig. 6. o is the hole or passage through the body of the spike A, being made inclined and straight, as in figs. 1 and 5, or inclined and curved, asin iig. 3. Leading to the ripper end of this opening is a guide-groove, m, extending from the upper end of the spike. The groove may be made tapering downward in width, if desired, and tapering upward in depth. The aperture o may be situated at any point along the body of the spike at which it may he thought lbest to place it. For general purposes, I make it about at th'e'point represented in the drawings; but when the spike is to be employed for the purpose of bolting together timbers-'or planks, as in the ship-yard, I would generally make it with a blunt point, and place the hole very near the extremity, so that the lock shall be formed at or near the end of the-spike. l

` The operati-on off'rthisim-proved spike is as follows: l

The main spike/is driven into the wood up `to the head, as seen in iig. 1. Thepoint of the auxiliary spike is then inserted intp the upper end of lgroove m, and the-auxiliany spike is driven down into the groove. The latter guides its point accurately into the opening 0,0through which it passes, entering the wood on the opposite side, and bending np, as seen in fig. 1, forming a strong lock which cannot be started or movedexcept by break- -v ing away thewoodiI The straight incline, figs. 1 and 5, will, in genera l,bend up the rod D suiiiciently to form a perfect lock, but, if thought necessary, the curved incline, iig. 3, may be employed, the effect of which will he to bend'the point of the rod D more closely to the spike A, preventihgits projecting out to a. great distance from the body ofthe main spike. In some kinds of work, where there is not much wood around the main spike, the curved incline spike may, for this reason, be d ecidedly superior to the other.

The tapering width of lthe guide-groove causes the nail 'towedge into it firmly, preventing anyybrationor wearing of the parts against each other, and holding all the parts together more compactly and firmly than if the groove were made of equal width from top to bottom. u

I do not limit myself, however, to the tapering groove, but my invention covers all forms of groove used :for the purpose herein set forth. A

` Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A spike, formed with an' opening, o', through it, and` a guide-groove, leading from its upper end to the opening, substantially as above set forth. I I

To the above specification of my improvement I have signed my hand, this 25th day of June, 1868.

' R. K. WALTON- Witnesses:

CHAs. A. PETTIT, SoLoN O. KEMON. 

